The Spill Canvas 'Realities' and 'Abnormalties' EPs Appeals to Both New and Old Fans

The latest EP, Realities, from the Sioux Falls rock quartet The Spill Canvas was released last week. For those of you new to this band, you are in for a fun treat that shows them branching out in their stylistic tendencies. The 5 track EP is full of fun, poppier songs and at times has twangy edge. This polished EP has good vocals, decent lyrics and lighter tone.

Opening with the catchy “Our Song”, a fun, up-tempo track that contrasts cliched ideas of romance with the way relationships happen in real life. (check out the clever music video below which is a spin of classic movies). The second track of this EP, “Dust Storm,” is arguably the strongest song of the quintet. The one true stand out track that I find myself really enjoying as it is the most in vein of there earlier work. Its a hooky track that embraces simplistic instrumentals to produce a straight forward rock number that is almost flawless. Next up “Let Go,” is a catchy song but is probably the weakest track on this EP, sounding a bit too bubble gum at times and the accompanying female vocals do nothing but hurt this track. “10,000 Midnight’s Ago,” the slowest song on the album, opens with promise with an excellent instrumental and then goes downhill from there. The song contains some of the best melodies of the EP but in the end I found it kind of lackluster. The EP ends with the upbeat pop rock track “Crash Course” that invokes a bit of a Rascal Flatt’s vibe.

If you are a Spill Canvas fan like myself, you will be left a little disappointed and wondering where this new sound comes from as this album is a drastically different sound. This album lacks the usual grit and raw emotion of Nick Thomas’s vocals that were the essence of the previous albums. While it is good to grow emotionally and as a band, I always enjoyed Spill Canvas the best while singing angrily about lost loves, critcs, or when singing about the heart that Nick wears so well on his sleeve. You felt emotionally connected to every song as the lyrics were something relatable and beautiful. The band which also includes guitarist Dan Ludeman, Drummer Joe Beck, and Bassist Landon Heil are working on their latest album. Hopefully this latest EP is them trying a new style temporarily and they will get back to their roots with the next. Nick if you need some more dating drama to inspire you feel free to call lol. Here’s to hoping the next full length album will go back to the raw sound that I love and the this pop experimenting is out of their system.

Luckily for the older Spill Canvas fans jonzing for new music they released, Abnormalities, a three song digital collection this past January that’s sure to appease fans of old and endear them to a slew more of new ones. This effort is a little closer to that original sound that we all love while also experimenting with their sound a bit with balanced big choruses and funk fuelled unconventional guitars the will have you dancing as you sing along. This high energy album opens with “Getaway Drug,” a catchy song with intriguing rhythm and the kind of hook Thomas’ has grown to be expected to produce. His voice quivers with awkward confidence throughout the verses until his true raw power comes out on the chorus. The EP continues with tracks old school TSC fans will love. “Don’t Let Your Enemies Become Friends”, a tune that starts off smoothly then kicks it up a notch with its drum/bass line. The chorus is insanely catchy with excellent and oh so relatable lyrics (“sometimes closure doesn’t close anything at all”). The album ends on a high note, with the funk-pop enthused “Good Graces, Bad Influence.” which has an excellent rhythm that will make you want to dance. Nick Thomas’s vocals are at an all time high on this song and the lyricism is to match (“Little mischievous, remain devious; Keep me a heartbeat shy of an ambulance”). This is probably my favorite track of the three as it is one the whole band shines through on. Overall this EP is a must have for all Spill Canvas fans!

For more infomration on The Spill Canvas check out their official website. Both Abnormalities and Realities EPs are available now on The Spill Canvas.

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